St. Alberic of Cîteaux

St. Alberic of Cîteaux was a 12th-century monk and reformer who played a key role in founding the Cistercian Order. As the second abbot of Cîteaux, he secured papal approval and established the order’s distinctive white habit and ascetic practices. His leadership helped pave the way for a powerful spiritual renewal in medieval monasticism.

St. Alberic of Cîteaux was one of the foundational figures in the birth and early development of the Cistercian Order, a major reform movement within the Benedictine monastic tradition. His deep desire to live out the Rule of St. Benedict more faithfully and with greater purity led him, along with St. Robert of Molesme and St. Stephen Harding, to leave the monastery at Molesme in 1098 and establish a new community in the wilderness of Cîteaux in Burgundy, France. This act of monastic courage marked the beginning of a profound renewal in Christian religious life.

When Robert, the first abbot, was called back to Molesme, Alberic was chosen as his successor. Alberic’s leadership was essential to the community’s survival and development. He took deliberate steps to solidify the new monastery’s future. One of his most significant achievements was obtaining papal recognition for the new foundation from Pope Paschal II in the year 1100, which gave the Cistercians ecclesiastical legitimacy and protection. This act formally recognized Cîteaux as a legitimate Benedictine monastery and set it apart from other monastic centers that had drifted into wealth and secular influence.

Under Alberic’s guidance, the monastic community adopted distinctive practices and customs. He introduced the white habit as a symbol of purity and simplicity, contrasting with the black robes worn by Benedictines. The white habit would come to symbolize the new order’s identity and values. Alberic was also deeply committed to the principles of manual labor, silence, simplicity in liturgy, and an austere lifestyle, all of which became hallmarks of the Cistercian approach to monastic life.

Alberic’s vision for the monastery was not only spiritual but also practical. He structured the life of the monks around prayer, work, and community, ensuring that the monastery could be self-sustaining and free from the corrupting influence of external wealth or power. He also emphasized obedience and humility, virtues that were central to the Rule of St. Benedict but often overlooked in larger and more established monastic communities at the time.

Although Alberic died in 1109, his influence continued to shape the Cistercian Order through his successor, St. Stephen Harding. Within a few decades, the Cistercian movement grew rapidly, with new monasteries founded across Europe. The arrival of St. Bernard of Clairvaux in 1112, just a few years after Alberic’s death, brought the order even greater visibility and influence. Bernard would go on to be one of the most powerful spiritual voices of the 12th century, building upon the foundations Alberic had laid.

St. Alberic was never formally canonized in the modern sense, as he was recognized as a saint before the establishment of the formal canonization process. However, his feast day on January 26 is still observed within the Cistercian Order, and he is honored as one of their founders. His life of humility, discipline, and dedication to the monastic ideal remains a lasting inspiration to those in religious life and to all who seek simplicity and faithfulness in following God.

Feast Day

26-1-1109

Birth Date

--

Died Date

26-1-1109

Canonised Date

--Pre-congregation

Cîteaux Abbey, France

St. Alberic, Faithful servant of God and founder of holy life, Pray for us to seek humility and devotion. Help us to follow Christ with a pure heart And to live in obedience, love, and prayer. Amen.
ST. ALBERIC OF CÎTEAUX

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ST. ALBERIC OF CÎTEAUX

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